Janus Chess (1978) – Board Game Guys

Janus Chess

Janus Chess is a chess variant invented in 1978 by Werner Schöndorf from Bildstock, Germany. It is played on a 10×8 board and features a fairy chess piece, the janus, with the combined moves of a bishop and a knight. The usual set of chess pieces is extended with two pawns and two januses per player. Each janus is placed between a rook and a knight, and the relative position of the king and queen is reversed compared to chess.

Why is Janus Chess Popular?

Janus Chess has been popular in Europe with regular tournaments drawing strong players. Several chess grandmasters have played this game including Viktor Korchnoi, Péter Lékó, and Artur Yusupov. Korchnoi said: “I like playing Janus Chess because one can show more creativity than in normal chess”.

Game Components of Janus Chess

– 10×8 board
– Standard chess pieces
– 2 januses per player
– 2 extra pawns per player

Game Setup of Janus Chess

Each player starts with the following pieces:
– 1 king
– 1 queen
– 2 rooks
– 2 knights
– 2 bishops
– 2 januses
– 8 pawns

Gameplay Mechanics of Janus Chess

Janus Chess is played similarly to chess, with the janus piece being the main difference. The janus moves like a bishop or a knight, depending on the player’s choice. After castling, the king stands on either the b
– or i-file and a rook stands on either the c
– or h-file, depending on which side castling is done.

Game Objective of Janus Chess

The objective of Janus Chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, just like in chess.

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